Evaluating dermatology education and training

The purpose of education and training in dermatology ranges from increasing knowledge and skills to improving confidence or enhancing patient outcomes. Specification of the purpose of the education and training is vital so that evaluation can be aligned to purpose, and thus provide evidence on effectiveness. Further, the quality and quality improvement of education and training can be enhanced by a careful specification of how they are expected to achieve their purpose. Multiple theories and methods can be used to evaluate both the process and the outcome of education and training. In this paper, we summarize some of these and focus particularly on the use of behavioural science to evaluate education and training. We illustrate these theories and methods with an example in dermatology.